Obama and liberals hug it out

The president's recent actions have made House Democrats feel more welcome. | AP Photo

“Like Democrats, independents are strongly unified behind the president and his efforts to end the Republican shutdown government. You don’t earn their support by throwing red meat to the partisans,” Earnest said. “The president has engaged independents in this debate and put pressure on Republicans by making it clear that he’s putting the economic interests of the country first — ahead of everything else.”

But liberals downplayed the idea that the president has suddenly been catering to them in how he’s approached the shutdown.

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“It’s such a clear choice,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). “We’re unified because it’s clear that we have a responsibility, not liberal or conservative, to open the government and pay our bills.”

“This is not a question of liberal or anything else. This is about respecting the Democratic process. And I feel very strongly about it, and I hope and believe the president does, as well,” Sanders said.

Still, Brown said the Yellen pick has been received well. “People are happy with that,” he said, not making eye contact with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, leader of the GOP opposition to Obama, who stood with him in the elevator. “I think it was important,” Brown added.

The satisfaction core Democrats feel with what the president’s done so far, though, only goes so far.

The Republican position of refusing to fund the government or raise the debt limit without major concessions is “something that you haven’t seen before, and the president’s responding as he has to, and I think people on our side recognize that,” said Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), who’s often criticized Obama for not going far enough toward liberal goals.

A final deal is likely to fund the government at sequester cut levels, and Grayson said that’s far from a victory or something that will significantly change the overall liberal disenchantment that Obama’s built up over the past five years.

“I don’t think that people on my side feel like getting up and cheering, but on the other hand,” Grayson said, “we’re pleased that the president is not capitulating and not making things worse.”